Interesting that this Osbourn family they had several boys of conscription age and none were in my militia listings nor in the Texas CSA records that I could find. ..Imagine how this miffed Col. ..James Bourland was to have all of these “draft dodgers” living in Gainesville. ..Don’t forget, Bourland posted a $1,000 reward for the brother-in-law of five orphan neices and nephews who lived in his home for about 10 years and yes, he adopted those kiddos.
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Corporal W.R. Strong related the following story in his 1914 article “W.R. Strong: His Memoirs" found in the Morton Museum of Gainesville TX.
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”... A man named Osbourn whose family lived on Wolf Ridge left and went North after the [Oct 1862] hanging. ..He came back before the war was over and Col. Bourland caught him and had him shot. ..It scared his parents so they left one night. ..When they reached the river, it was “bank full.” ..The old man swam across and carried his gun. ..He came back after his wife and told her to hold on to the hair on his head. She did so and they swam the river, about three-fourths a mile wide. “
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Below is the "Osbourn" family that I think Strong was referencing.
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1860 Cooke Co TX census, p227, P.O. Gainesville
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103-105 Osbourn, Margurite......45 NC
103-105 Osbourn, John...........22 TN
103-105 Osbourn, Lafayette......21 MS
103-105 Osbourn, Wm. H..........17 MS
103-105 Osbourn, Andre C.(male).16 MS
103-105 Osbourn, Jas. Jasper....14 MS
103-105 Osbourn, David B........11 MS
103-105 Osbourn, Louisiana.......9 MS
103-105 Osbourn, Robt. H.........7 TX
104-106 Osbourn, M.M.(male).....25 TN
104-106 Osbourn, John W..........3 TX
104-106 Osbourn, Wm. C...........2 TX
104-106 Osbourn, Mary Ann........4/12 TX
104-106 Osbourn, Amanda..........20 TN
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Please help me learn more about this Osbourn family. Where did they go? Who was shot?
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Patti, prochette@Juno.com
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